Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, performs her review at Knott’s Scary Farm. She has been doing her show since the early 70s. This is the last year that she will do her performance. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Elvira “Mistress of the Dark” arrives on stage at the Charles M. Schulz Theatre at Knott’s Berry Farm in 2014 for the announcement of one of the park’s new attractions. (File photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“I wanted to go out on top when I looked really good and the show looks really good,” Cassandra Peterson, who portrays Elvira, said. “Part of the reason I’m not doing the show is I have three projects I really want to concentrate on. One is an animated TV show that I’ve been working on for a long time. One is my autobiography, which I’ve been working on forever and if I don’t set some kind of a date and finish it, it’s never going to happen. And one is a possible television project. I’m working on getting all of those out and really also need to free up some time to concentrate on those because when you take three months out of the year every year, I feel like I never get anything done.”

Peterson will also be expanding her clothing line, adding lingerie, as well as her jewelry brand. There is a long list of other Elvira-related merchandise on the horizon too, from a new slot machine to Christmas ornaments. And Peterson oversees and approves everything.

In between Peterson will continue with other short-term Elvira appearances, including live events.

Scott D. Marcus of Elvira, Inc.’s management and licensing shared that they are talking with Knott’s to see how Elvira can still be a part of Scary Farm without being on stage every night.

“Elvira’s always been part of Knott’s,” Marcus said. “She’s always been very loyal to Knott’s and the fans. She has a real kindred spirit with the Haunt and we would love to find a way to continue that even if there’s not a live stage show.”

“I’m going to really miss being at Knott’s,” Peterson said. “It’s going to be sad to not see a lot of the fans and I know they really like me because having done the meet-and-greets they tell me how much I mean to them. They’ve really been adorable, sweet, everyone that I’ve met here.”

“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” is presented at 9 and 11:30 p.m. nightly during Knott’s Scary Farm.

Michelle Mills has been an entertainment and features reporter for the Southern California News Group since 1999. She has interviewed such notables as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Glen Campbell, Alice Cooper, Debbie Allen, Ernest Borgnine (during an earthquake) and Adam Young (Owl City). She was the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade Queen reigning 2007-2009. She is a professional belly dancer (swordwork is her specialty) and also studies Polynesian and Tahitian dance.

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